First of all, have you ever wished or simply wondered how you could convert more prospects into customers? We’re sure you have. We certainly have. After all, why wouldn’t you? More customers equal more profit and a more popular business. Now, hold on just a second.

See what we did there? We hooked you into reading this article with an irresistible promise. That’s called copywriting. And if you learn how to do it, you too, can create more engaging, higher-converting content, while at the same time learning how to close more customers and sales.

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is the art of writing in a way that persuades a reader to take action. There are two key words in that sentence – “persuade” and “action”. Remember those two words as you continue reading the rest of this short primer. Copywriting is most commonly associated with creating a sales pages that converts readers into buyers. However, learning how to make words more persuasive is a valuable skill for any business owner to have (as I’m sure you can imagine). For effective copywriting, there are four P’s you should follow. Our Omaha SEO team at Big Red SEO is going to list the four P’s in the order that they would be used in a sales letter, but each P by itself contains a valuable lesson. Here we go.

1. Promise

Every well-written piece of copy starts with a promise, or a benefit. You start by telling the reader something to get excited about. Something fascinating. Something relevant. Something they want. Badly. See the beginning of this article for an example. Your promise is the foundation of your persuasion, sort of like your goal. It’s what you’re trying to get the reader to accept, or to believe, in their minds. The rest of the P’s are all built to convince the reader that your promise is worth a purchase.

2. Picture

Once you’ve given your reader a promise, the next step is getting them to picture themselves enjoying that promise. You want to get the reader to FEEL your promise, to make them WANT it deep down in their subconscious. The promise piques their interest. The picture cements their desire.

3. Proof

This one is pretty self explanatory. Proof is where you backup your promise, or benefit, with credibility-enhancing facts.

You could describe the features of your product.

You could use testimonials.

You could give the reader encouraging statistics.

In short, proof is where you make them believe that you can fulfill the desire you built in promise and picture. Never skimp on your proof, especially because different readers respond to different types. Some like numbers, some like stories, and some like demonstrations. So, give them everything.

4. Push

Think of the push like the climax of the movie. It’s where you tie everything together and make it irresistible. You laid all your cards on the table, and now you’re putting the ball in the reader’s court. Most importantly, give them a reason to take action RIGHT NOW. Make immediate action much more appealing than future action. Push them over the tipping point. Combined, these four P’s make a great product irresistible, and we hope you’ll take some time to think about how you can position your business more in line with these P’s.

How Big Red SEO can Help!

If you’d like to learn more about the art of persuasion, Big Red SEO highly recommends the book “Influence” by Robert Cialdini. And if you’d like more book recommendations for business owners, check out Five Books Every Business Owner Should Read.

Alternatively, let us over at Big Red SEO handle all your content, and you won’t have to worry about any of this copywriting mumbo-jumbo. Whichever is easiest for you.

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Kimberly Treacy (Talbot) is an SEO Guru with a ‘no bullshit’ attitude. As the owner of Big Red SEO, she provides companies of all sizes what they need to know to get their business in front of those looking for their services and products. Big Red SEO is one of the few search engine optimization companies that offers ‘industry exclusivity’ meaning we only work with one company within an industry and their market at a time.